


When the Moon Falls Asleep

by sunshinehyuk



Category: Monsta X (Band)
Genre: Abusive Relationships, Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Alternate Universe - Not Related, Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Crossdressing, Don't Like Don't Read, Eating Disorders, Everyone Is Gay, Heavy Angst, Homophobia, How Do I Tag, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, M/M, Not Suitable/Safe For Work, Romance, Sex, Sexy Times, Tags Are Fun, You Have Been Warned
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-26
Updated: 2018-08-26
Packaged: 2019-07-02 20:04:10
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,024
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15803631
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sunshinehyuk/pseuds/sunshinehyuk
Summary: The sun would rise and he would have to get through another day. After years, he was ready to finally move on. Until one night, he had an unfortunate encounter with a small man who would cause him even more pain.Either Minhyuk was just a magnet of misery or he had done something in his past life to have to live the way he did now. He kept going for the sake of others, giving off a happy, carefree aura. But his heart was hurting, and his will to live fading.





	When the Moon Falls Asleep

**Author's Note:**

> So a few things before we get started, this work is entirely fictitious. The whole concept of this story stems from loving someone who is bad for you and the negative aspects of that. I wrote this story, knowing full well what it feels like to be in love with someone who will only bring you pain (I'm dramatic I know), and as a way to show you that some of the ways that people may cope with their 'problems' is not helpful. There will be sensitive topics discussed and I have tagged them to make you aware of their presence, if you are uncomfortable with any of them then please do not read this. Maybe they won't play a big part, I haven't written the whole story yet but they will be heavily implied. 
> 
> Will there be a happy ending? Who knows. So before you start reading this trainwreck, please understand that I am not 'glorifying' anything mentioned in this story, and it is just that. A story. Any feedback, positive or negative would be greatly appreciated and I hope you enjoy reading this. I don't want to sound too gloomy for lack of a better word, but I don't want any issues raised to negatively affect anyone reading this and I will put more warnings at the start of future chapters. If you read the notes then thank you and if you didn't then I won't take responsibility if you get offended.
> 
> You have been warned. Please enjoy the story (~0-0)~

Faint footsteps echoed throughout the halls of a dark office building as a silver haired man ran back and forth, stacks of documents and folders regarding countless different contracts and business opportunities piled high in his arms. The only light coming from his mobile as he tried to find his way around. Muttering about his uncomfortable shoes and getting a second generator for black-outs like this, he didn’t notice the figure standing in front of him and collided with it. 

“Who the fuck?” he grunted, pushing his round glasses up the bridge of his nose, strong grip keeping hold of the papers. His eyes squinted in the dark at the lanky object blocking his path. Said object leaned forward into the light of the mobile, giving him a goofy smile and the silver haired man let out an exasperated sigh,

“Hyungwon what are you doing here it’s 1AM, isn’t that past your bedtime?”

“I’m not even three months younger than you and you weren’t replying to my calls or texts and what are you doing here CEO Minhyuk?” Hyungwon raised an attractive eyebrow with a smirk as he enunciated those three letters.

Minhyuk rolled his eyes and pushed past the taller lanky model, “Don’t remind me, it’s a lot harder than you think!” He turned a corner with the other following him and entered a small office, dumping the papers on the desk, “Sure the huge raise is a bonus, along with absolute power over everything and everyone. Wait I pay myself don’t I… so do raises matter?” leaning against the desk his eyes swivelled around the dark room, trying to make out his surroundings.

The taller male chuckled lightly, walking forward to his best friend, long bony arms engulfing him in a warm hug. “You’re doing fine Min, I’m here to help and you’ve got other CEO friends you can ask now if you need anything.”

“Stop treating me like a child or I’ll fire you,” Minhyuk returned the hug, his small smile going unnoticed in the dark.

“First of all, I don’t work for you full-time and you love me too much to do that. Secondly, you’re only twenty, you shouldn’t be the CEO of a company at that age, not that you can’t do it!” He quickly added, “And it’s not fair on you, I guess it’s not your fault your father wasn’t more prepared though,” The taller man let go and took his hand, blindly guiding them from the room. “Anyway, enough business talk we’re going to go celebrate!” His cheery voice made Minhyuk shake his head with a smile and follow him like a puppy.

“First of all, I’m a responsible adult now and you’re an overgrown manchild who gets depressed when drunk and constantly talks about the burning fire in his loins for Hyunwoo and the fact he doesn’t love you back. Secondly, I have a busy day tomorrow and I don’t want to be hungover.”

Hyungwon scoffed and playfully hit him, sighing and sliding his arm around Minhyuk’s shoulders, “I just don’t get what’s not to love about me and you’re one to talk about the drinking part,” they eventually reached the stairs and took their time descending, talking about all the things they never had time to anymore. 

Minhyuk never stopped smiling at his best friend, letting him talk his heart out even when they stood outside the office block in the pouring rain. Oversized sweater saturated with rain and hair sticking to his forehead, few cars passed at this time of night and the streets were eerily quiet save for the pounding of the rain against the stone paths.

He zoned out of what Hyungwon was saying, eyes fixating on the model’s black hair. Droplets of rain falling off his eyelashes and forming a puddle on the ground which Minhyuk’s childish side wanted so desperately to play in.

“So, are you coming this weekend?” Hyungwon asked, hand running through his soaked hair as he looked Minhyuk up and down. Noticing the lost look in the other’s eyes he sighed and repeated himself, “Changkyun’s back and we’re going out to celebrate this weekend, we’ll all be there, and you need to get out for once.” The model chuckled as Minhyuk rolled his eyes, pulling out his mobile to call for a lift.

“Yeah sounds fun. Who knows, maybe an eternity of lusting after each other will make Changkyun and Hoseok realise they’re meant to be. Then they’ll get nasty in the restrooms while we sip our cocktails and hope the music will be loud enough to drown them out. I don’t want to miss that.”

Hyungwon burst into a fit of laughter, clutching his stomach as he doubled over. “H-hopefully, it’s so painful watching Hoseok pine after Changkyun, he looks like a rejected bunny.”

“Reminds me of someone,” Minhyuk looked at Hyungwon as he wiped a tear from his eye and calmed down, his phone buzzed and he gave a glance at the bright screen. He was about to say more when his eyes skimmed over the message and his smile faded. Looking at the road where a black Mercedes Benz S Class had pulled up and waving to the driver, giving Hyungwon a quick hug he hurried over to the car.

Watching his friend drive away after avoiding the situation, Hyungwon sighed to himself. He wanted to talk about the message, about the messenger, but knew Minhyuk would only divert the conversation or close up completely. Not wanting to lose his best friend again the model never touched on sensitive topics, instead opting to indulge him on his own life with its trivial matters.

The rain continued on his walk home. A relentless rhythm against the ground, losing itself in the cacophony of noises that grew louder the closer he got towards the city centre. Drunk people enjoying their night out, loud music from nightclubs playing to attract customers, cars hurrying past to get home. His mind never left the subject of Minhyuk. He knew his best friend wasn’t in the best place right now, mentally and physically. Having to deal with a company on his own, albeit a small one, past relationships that ended for a reason still plaguing him. 

Hyungwon was worried about the state of Minhyuk’s mind, unable to say anything he just watched from the sidelines as his best friend struggled to cope on a daily basis. The only thing he could hope for was success for the company, at least that would be one less problem.

But problems seemed to follow Minhyuk everywhere and it wouldn’t be long before he wanted to give up again.

 

\---

 

“I like these,” Minhyuk’s long hand pointed to a set of photos containing runway outfits from various brands. His assistant sighed and pulled out a folder, handing him photos of different models.

“If you can’t at least choose one brand to work with, one meaning singular, at least pick your models. Sir.” She punctuated the last word as sarcastically as she could which earned her a pout from Minhyuk.

“It’s been four years since I took over and I have yet to work with a brand that I am consistently impressed with. Hardly my fault Gucci can’t meet the criteria I asked for and gave me this shit they call fashion.” He thumbed through the headshots of the stunning models, stopping at a familiar looking one and pulling it out. “Do we even need to ask him to work with us?”

The assistant shrugged and pulled out her tablet, typing something in and looking back up at him, “He’s not officially under us so it’s protocol to have to write up a new contract each time we want him. You should talk to him about that, Chae’s in high demand so it would be beneficial to have him with us. Countless other agencies want him and you know him personally so- “

She was cut off by Minhyuk shaking his head, “Hyungwon’s got no interest of being tied to a modelling agency anymore and I don’t want to use our friendship like that.” He glanced at a few other photos before handing a few to his assistant. “Besides he’s losing interest in modelling, wants to focus more on the music. Maybe we should become a record label.” 

A knock on the glass door disrupted their conversation as a small man popped his head in, “Sir, there’s someone here to see you, they don’t have an appointment, but they were adamant, rather rude in fact, about getting in.”

Minhyuk cocked an eyebrow but then waved a hand at the man, “Let them in, it’s probably just Hyungwon, cranky from a lack of food and dick,” his assistant made a rather embarrassed noise and quickly shuffled her papers before nodding at him and moving to leave the office, stopping reluctantly when he called her name, “Rina.”

Unseen by him, she rolled her eyes and turned around to give the boss a smile, “Yes sir? How may I be of assistance?”

“You’re doing well here, keep up the good work and I’ll see what I can do for you,” he gave her his best toothy grin to which she laughed at and waved him off.

“Thank you Sir, this job isn’t half bad I guess,” with a chuckle she walked off, leaving Minhyuk to gaze off into nothing and daydream as he usually does no matter the amount of important work he has piling up.

He spun around gently on his chair, admiring the nice view from the new high rise that had his company name “Diore” plastered obnoxiously on the side. His fingers dancing a pattern on the armrests, lost in his own world he failed to notice, as he usually did, the tall man standing in the doorway.

“The black hair doesn’t suit you sunshine,” a gruff voice proclaimed from the door, laced with a thick American accent and a hint of mockery. Minhyuk instantly froze, he could hear his heart pounding in his ears and his blood ran cold. He wanted to yell, scream curses at the man but the door was open and the whole office would hear.

“Ignoring me again are we?” the smirk was evident in the man’s voice, his fist was clenched so hard it was turning white and Minhyuk could feel his finger nails digging into his palms.

“Again?”

The American chuckled, stepping closer into the room and shutting the glass door behind him. Minhyuk could hear him make his way to the chair on the other side of the desk, he wanted to ask him to leave. To get out of his building. He was a grown man and he owned his own company so why couldn’t he ask this one question?

_You’re scared._

“You haven’t been replying to my messages, God knows I sent you thousands of them. Plus you moved so it was a pain in the ass to find your address again,” the sound of the chair squeaking behind him unnerved Minhyuk and he desperately wanted to be anywhere but in his office right now. “I knew you became the CEO, a dumb decision if you ask me. You can’t do shit for yourself and I figured you’d end up having the most obnoxious building in the city knowing your fairy ass, so it wasn’t hard to find you really…” he trailed off, trying to evoke a reaction from the other.

Sounds from the working floor were muffled through the glass walls, clearer in the silence that remained between the two men. Neither of them making a move to say something next. Minhyuk felt like he was suffocating, his body remaining completely still. He jumped when he heard the door opening and still refused to turn around, preferring to pretend like the whole encounter wasn’t happening. 

“What in the flying fuck are you doing here?”

It was Hyungwon.

In an instant he had sprung from his chair, blindly stumbling through his office towards the door. He pushed past the lanky man who tried reaching for him but Minhyuk was already gone. Vision clouded with unshed tears he opted to take the stairs, always unused and empty. Clambering down the countless floors he finally reached the bottom. His lungs were gasping for air, cheeks reddened and was about to reach for the door handle when he felt a hand on his shoulder.

“Don’t worry, it’s just me,” the soft voice of his best friend instantly calmed him down, tears escaping from his eyes and falling silently down his cheeks leaving wet trails. He bit his lip and threw his arms around the taller man’s shoulder, crying into him and staining his expensive shirt. 

“F-four years,” Minhyuk sniffed, “it’s been four fucking years and I-,“ his voice cracked and he sobbed into the other’s shoulder. Hyungwon remained quiet, long fingers stroking steadily through Minhyuk’s hair in an attempt comfort him. It failed as he kept crying, soft whimpers leaving his trembling lips, body shaking against Hyungwon.

“I’m scared Hyungwon…” he mumbled, wiping his nose on the cuff of his blazer and pulling back to look up at him. 

Hyungwon smiled at him, using the pads of his thumbs to wipe away his tears and placing a soft kiss on his forehead.

“You have nothing to be scared of sweetheart, he can’t hurt you anymore and if he tries he’ll have me to deal with okay?”

With a light chuckle, Minhyuk nodded and smiled back at him. 

“Let’s take you home, shall we?” the taller man took his hand and led him through a side door towards the building’s underground parking for employees. They made their way towards Hyungwon’s car, always a lover of quality he owned a dark grey Maserati Ghibli, paid for by his years of modelling for luxury brands and his career as one of the most popular DJ’s around.

He unlocked the vehicle and held the door open for Minhyuk who smiled like an idiot and got in. After what felt like an eternity of Hyungwon fiddling with the radio station, trying to find the perfect station they had rolled out of the parking lot and into the busy street. 

The car was filled with silence, but it was comfortable. Years of being close had allowed the two to know when and when not to speak. They knew what to say to each other and what to do to cheer the other up. Without fail they were always there for one another. 

They had met in their first year of high school, both had been new to the area with no friends and so had stuck together, making new ones.

Admittedly their friend Changkyun was closer to Hyungwon than he was to Minhyuk but the two were still good friends. And there was Hoseok, Changkyun’s boyfriend of four years now and undoubtedly the hottest man alive. Minhyuk had tried to persuade him into modelling for his company dozens of times but he wasn’t interested in that career path anymore and continued being a personal trainer and gym owner for the rich and successful while his other half was in the process of becoming a doctor. The two seemed so mismatched sometimes yet they were the perfect couple, it made Minhyuk feel bittersweet, yet he had to smile when he saw how much they loved each other.

Hyunwoo on the other hand was everyone’s best friend. The nicest person you could ever meet, he worked as a hairdresser, making ladies across the city swoon with his handsome looks and strong hands in their hair. He could cheer anyone up and make them feel happy and being the oldest and overall kindest in their small group of friends he was unwillingly dubbed the father of them all. His charming nature was what had caused Hyungwon to develop a crush on him in high school and to this day he hadn’t been able to shake those butterflies in his stomach.

Then Jooheon had appeared one day, a transfer student from another school and Changkyun’s best friend since childhood. Minhyuk had been obsessed with him since they first met, he would always perk up whenever Jooheon was around and while it seemed to outsiders that they were just a loved-up couple who were never apart, Minhyuk knew that Jooheon was straight and he respected that.

Whenever Minhyuk would have been going through a bad time years ago he would always think of his friends which had helped him to keep going. His eyes filled with tears again as he remembered what he had put them through with his past relationship and seeing the pitiful looks they had given him. Of course, they had warned him to break it off but Minhyuk was stubborn, and in love, and stupid.

Shaking his head to rid himself of those thoughts he looked up and saw they had stopped outside his apartment complex. The car was quiet, Hyungwon was looking at Minhyuk for who knows how long whilst the other had been lost in his thoughts. He opened his mouth to say something but refrained from doing so, knowing full well that Minhyuk wasn’t in the mood to talk.

Instead he put a hand on the older’s thigh, giving it a gentle reassuring squeeze as he knew physical contact always seemed to calm Minhyuk down.

“I’ll call you later okay?” Hyungwon smiled at him, watching as the other smiled back and got out of his car. Minhyuk looked back and waved at him, the corners of his lips turning up as he watched his best friend drive away and sighed to himself.

Others may have found it strange that he wouldn’t let anyone into his apartment, not even his closest friends, but Minhyuk had his reasons and they all respected that. He made his way into the lobby, nodding at the security guard who nodded back. Hiring his own personal security was just one of the measures he took to keep certain people out of his life.

_It clearly didn’t work you idiot._

As he ascended to the top floor in the elevator, he leaned against the wall and took a deep breath. The man from earlier appeared in his mind and Minhyuk shuddered, it was his ex. While he had wanted to go into the fashion industry after leaving high school, his father had guilted him into coming to the company which he was now the CEO of. During his days there whilst studying at school his father had employees from across the globe come with their families for holidays to the country or to work in the main headquarters, and that was how he had met him.

His name was Adam. He had come with his family from America to live in South Korea, Adam always seemed to be around Minhyuk and with Minhyuk being a horny teenager he had fallen head over heels for this exotic foreigner even if he was only a few years older than him.

To say the least Minhyuk was a dumb sixteen-year-old. Thinking about what he had went through in those four years made him break down into panic attacks and completely close himself off to everyone and everything. So, he had bottled all those memories and feelings up and shoved them deep down inside, keeping himself occupied by shaping his company into the successful business it is now.

He had never talked to anyone about what happened, even his friends only knew the bare minimum and he couldn’t get professional help for fear of the public finding out that one of South Korea’s youngest and most successful businessmen wasn’t fit to be CEO. 

The elevator dinged and Minhyuk stepped into his doorway, pushing his thoughts aside and fishing his key from the pocket of his blazer. Unlocking his door, he entered the luxurious penthouse his salary had allowed him to purchase. Minhyuk’s bank account was nothing to be scoffed at. After he had gotten control of the company he gave it a complete refurbishment. Diore was originally a business created to supply brands with the resources they needed, for example they would help other businesses with finding office spaces or good retailers and supply them with employees.

But Minhyuk had bigger and better ideas. When he took over he started investing in a lot more, small amounts in the fashion industry which quickly earned them a fortune due to his creative eye and luck. They had also started to organise their own runways where they modelled their own fashion brand, Minhyuk was a fantastic artist and had created designs that were now on the clothes and accessories of millions of people around the world. 

After the fashion aspect of the company had begun to bloom, they started looking into modelling. Hyungwon had given him the idea after he had talked about how much fashion brands would pay just for one model and so Minhyuk started hiring and created a subsidiary company that would allow any and all brands to find and hire models easily. At that point they were making millions a year and that number kept growing and so did the business so Minhyuk bought a high-rise office building at the heart of the city, one of the biggest in Seoul. 

Everyone was surprised at how successful they had become in such a short amount of time, Minhyuk had garnered a lot of attention not only for his business and negotiating skills but also his good looks and charming personality. The business had grown so much that it had thankfully kept his mind occupied over the past few years, but it had also kept him from having much of a social life. He hadn’t had a proper relationship after the one with Adam had ended four years ago, aside from a rough spot he had went through shortly after where he went out and got drunk and fucked everyone he met even in the dingiest of nightclubs.

Minhyuk sighed and threw his keys on the side table beside the door, watching as they slid off and onto the hardwood floor. He contemplated picking them up but what would be the point? His penthouse was huge, there were three bedrooms, two of them with their own ensuite bathrooms. The main bathroom had a shower big enough for four people, Minhyuk thought it was great for whenever he wanted to curl into a fetal position and cry on the floor of it. 

The colour scheme and interior design was specifically designed by Minhyuk himself, he wanted to go for something bright but not overly colourful and garish looking. Grey wooden floors against plain white walls, colourful artwork either he or a well-renowned artist had created featured here and there to distract from the monotony of the white. A large black sectional was placed in the corner of the room that the front door opened in to. Rather than a window with a view, Minhyuk had a wall with a view. Large windows ran from the ceiling to the floor, giving him a marvelous view of the city that he could stare at for hours on end, night and day.

His kitchen was never used as Minhyuk was far too busy and lazy to ever cook for himself. The state-of-the-art hobs and equipment collecting dust, but he thought it looked nice. All of the furniture he owned complimented their respective rooms nicely as he was never the type of person to own something simply for the brand, he preferred quality and style. He thought most of the products Gucci created were horrendous which is why he rarely worked with them.

Something that would have stood out if anyone had ever seen the inside of his home, was the multiple shelves and cupboards filled with various brands of alcohol. There were expensive whiskeys and brandys, bottles of wine he had brought back from the countries he had been to. Countless other types of alcohol sat alongside crystal decanters and glasses, some of them gifts from friends or stuff he had purchased to treat himself with. He refused to label himself as an alcoholic, only drinking on weekends or holidays and getting shit-faced whenever he felt like it. Using the excuse of his excessive drinking as a coping mechanism helped him not feel so guilty about it.

Immediately he walked towards the shelves, grabbing his favourite bottle of bourbon he poured himself a small glass and made his way towards the master bedroom. Pushing open the door with minimal effort and setting the glass down on his bedside table, Minhyuk flopped face down onto the bed, groaning into the satin covers. He lay there for what felt like hours when in reality it was a few seconds, his tongue felt dry, so he reached under his bed for the emergency bottle of merlot he kept there. Ignoring the bourbon on the table and the disrespect he was showing to how the lavish wine was meant to be drunk, he reluctantly sat up, twisting open the cap and pulling the bottle to his lips.

Gulping down the sweet liquid didn’t phase him at all, he drank it like water, the fruity taste of it all to familiar to his taste buds and his liver. Taking a breath, he brought his knees to his chest, dragging his oxfords across the expensive sheets and continued to drink the wine like a baby drinks its bottle.

No one could see him like this. No one would ever see the grown man sitting like a child in the middle of his bed, fully clothed with shoes on at 1PM and chugging a bottle of wine. He hated himself for it but loved the feeling of being numb to everything, not having to think about anything, forgetting about that certain something. Even Hyungwon didn’t know the extent of his drinking, blaming Minhyuk’s moody attitude and headaches most days for the man’s lack of sleep and addiction to late night television.

“He’d only tell me to stop,” Minhyuk said to himself, already feeling the effects the alcohol was having on him. He felt a buzzing coming from his pocket, holding the bottle in one hand as he pulled out his phone and promptly answered without checking the caller ID, saying hello to whoever was on the other side. He expected it to be Hyungwon anyway.

“Hello sunshine,” Minhyuk broke out in a cold sweat, it was him.

“How-“

“Shut up for a second okay sweetie? Let me talk,” the vile voice frightened him, mind flashing back to what would happen if he didn’t do as he was told, “since you so rudely left your office in a hurry today, I never got to tell you that we’re meeting for dinner tomorrow night. 8PM at that fancy looking restaurant near your office, it had some dumb French name, but you should know it. So, don’t be late and wear something nice okay? You better show.” He hung up before letting Minhyuk get a word in. The whole world had seemed to stop and Minhyuk could hear the ticking his watch made, he must have sat there for at least five minutes. He was running what had just happened over and over again in his head, unable to think straight.

He wanted to decline, stand up for himself for once, but the little voice in his head told him not showing up would only make things worse. And what could Adam really do to him now? Minhyuk wasn’t going to let that man get to him, he would rather get beaten black and blue again than succumb to his sickening words and taunts and insults, the odd compliment thrown into the mix which always confused and hurt Minhyuk even more.

_You’re not wasted enough for this._

Crawling to the edge of his bed, his shoes caught on the covers and he tumbled off the side, landing silently in a heap of covers and self-pity. He squeezed his eyes shut, refusing to let himself shed a single tear until he was too drunk to remember anything that had just happened. Placing his palms on the wooden floor, he pushed himself up and grabbed onto the bed post for support. His legs were shaking and hands sweaty but not because of the alcohol. 

Making his way towards his stash of drinks, he shrugged off his blazer in the hallway, letting the material worth thousands fall into a heap on the floor. He yanked off his tie, undoing the first few buttons and reaching for the closest bottle to him. It was his Diva Vodka, a present from another CEO. Minhyuk had gawked at the price, each bottle of it going for millions due to its rigorous filtering process and decorative bottle donned with semi-precious jewels. Of course, he had accepted it, it would have been rude and bad for business not to, also he was never one to turn down gifts or alcohol for that matter.

It had sat on his shelf for ages, never being drunk simply because Minhyuk was picky with his spirits and wasn’t a fan of trying new ones. But right now he just wanted to get wasted. Picking up a shot glass, he looked at it before setting it back and opting for a bigger glass. Placing the bottle down on his kitchen worktop, he opened it and poured the expensive liquid out. He watched it swirl around the glass before stopping completely still. Gazing at the clear drink he quickly grabbed the glass and threw it back, wincing at the slight burn at the back of his throat, he ignored it and quickly poured another glass. It was surprisingly smooth, one of the nicest he had ever tried and he considered buying another bottle, the price tag really not a problem for him.

Once the bottle was empty, Minhyuk was already heavily drunk. Stumbling towards his sofa, he threw himself down on it, out of the corner of his eye he spotted another bottle of alcohol. He groaned when his insides clenched as if yelling at him to restrain himself from drinking it, he decided to leave it for now and save it for later. 

He closed his eyes. Moaning softly at the drunken feeling engulfing his body that he loved so much. The sun was shining in through the window and he threw an arm over his eyes. Silence filled the penthouse, deafening to Minhyuk’s ears so he let out a loud scream. Releasing his bottled-up anger and fear and pity for himself.

The amount of self-loathing he did was surely deserving of an award, he chuckled to himself. Alcohol couldn’t always make him forget but it gave his head room to let his thoughts through for once. He thought that was at least better than bottling them up as usual, his body however, didn’t agree. Having been told by his doctor that his liver wouldn’t be able to handle his excessive drinking later in life, Minhyuk didn’t care. He was the type of person who cared more about the present, living in the moment rather than worrying or preparing for the future, unless it came to his company.

Diore was one of the only things he kept going for, he was proud of himself for how far it had come in only a few years and he smiled to himself. The money it had made him changed not only his life but his friend’s as well. All of his friends weren’t well off, but they weren’t struggling either. They had their dreams but were unable to achieve them yet so Minhyuk had decided to help out, even if they tried to deny his offers.

Hyunwoo had always wanted to be a hair stylist and so for his birthday Minhyuk had bought him his own salon. The other man tried to contain his excitement but failed and had immediately engulfed Minhyuk in one of his warm bear hugs, and although that was two years ago he had never stopped thanking him since. 

Then a year ago he had paid for an all expenses trip for Hoseok and Changkyun to leave the country and elope in France. It was ‘disgustingly romantic and cheesy’ as Changkyun had described it while he wrote an essay to Minhyuk, fully stating he would pay him back once he had finished medical school and paid off those student loans, totally oblivious to the fact that Minhyuk had already taken care of that. Hoseok on the other hand, was an emotional wreck. He had never stopped complaining about the fact that their home country of South Korea had denied them basic human rights and burst into tears when Minhyuk had revealed what he had done. The couple had had a lovely time and he couldn’t have been happier for them.

Jooheon repeatedly declined Minhyuk’s offers to buy him his own recording studio. He had an immense talent for rapping and singing, along with writing song lyrics and producing his own music. One day Minhyuk had just bought him the recording studio, giving Jooheon no choice to accept the gift and repay him. The younger man showed his gratitude in his own special way, often inviting Minhyuk to the studio to show him what he was working on or using his vocals the man described as “beautiful” and “unique”.

Minhyuk could tell that Hyungwon was silently disproving of his absurd spending and he never stopped complaining to the older man, even as he inspected every setting on the ridiculously expensive state-of-the art DJ equipment that Minhyuk had bought for him. He knew that Hyungwon had a passion for it and listened with a smile as he went on about what he was going to with it and what buttons he loved the most.

Some may have called it boasting and showing off his money to others, but his friends knew that wasn’t the case. And Minhyuk believed in each of them and wanted nothing more than to repay them for having to deal with him ever since high school. He had made most of the money back by now, Hyunwoo was one of Seoul’s most highly sought-after stylists and had made a small fortune off of his celebrity clients. Jooheon and Hyungwon had both produced songs and collaborated with one another and earned a lot from the royalties, Hyungwon under the pseudonym of ‘DJ H.One’. Changkyun was close to graduating and already had offers of jobs from countless hospitals and facilities across the country, Hoseok on the other hand was able to open his own gym from the money he had earned from modelling years ago. He had started small but grew quickly due to his good results and loyal fanbase that grew from his stunning looks and also his lovable personality.

He lay thinking about them all, his drunken mind forcing him to randomly remember even the stupidest things they had done together. Things such as riding Splash Mountain at Disneyland without wearing ponchos and coming off completely soaked, Changkyun making jokes about how wet he had gotten and making them all laugh their asses off. One time they had also tried to draw with a permanent marker on a sleeping Hoseok’s face while they were all drunk and at Hyungwon’s apartment. Needless to say, Hoseok woke up before they had finished and had flexed ever so slightly which had sent them all running and screaming.

Remembering the fun times he had with them made Minhyuk smile, a big toothy grin that no one was even around to see. The light from outside slowly faded as afternoon turned to evening. Minhyuk had fallen asleep on the sofa, limbs sprawled every which way across the furniture.

Night came and still he slept. Slumber had often eluded him and so his body welcomed this. While he was out he was blissfully ignorant to all of his problems, able to forget everything that was going to inevitably happen sooner or later or had already happened. 

He was happy when he was asleep.


End file.
